Computer and network systems such as personal computers, workstations, server systems, and cloud storage systems, typically include data storage elements for storing and retrieving data. These data storage elements can include data storage devices, such as hard disk drives, solid state storage devices, hybrid storage devices, tape storage devices, and other mass storage devices.
Magnetic storage drives, such as hard disk drives, can employ various magnetic storage technologies. One such storage technology includes data storage drives with shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology to increase storage densities on associate storage media. SMR technology physically overlaps adjacent data tracks on a magnetic storage media, in contrast to a non-overlapping track recording technology, such as parallel magnetic recording (PMR) or other non-SMR techniques.
As computer systems and networks grow in numbers and capability, there is a need for more and more storage capacity. Cloud computing and large-scale data processing systems have further increased the need for digital data storage systems capable of transferring and holding immense amounts of data. Data centers can include a large quantity of data storage devices in various rack-mounted and high-density storage configurations. These data storage devices can also be combined into high capacity arrays of storage drives. However, maintaining statistical failure rates while providing data redundancy in these high-density arrays can be difficult.
Overview
To provide enhanced operation of data storage devices and systems, various systems, apparatuses, methods, and software are provided herein. In a first example, a data storage array is presented that includes a plurality of storage drives each comprising storage media with a first storage region and a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) storage region. The data storage array includes a control system communicatively coupled to the storage drives and configured to receive a write operation over a host interface for storage of write data by the data storage array. Responsive to the write operation, the control system is configured to cache the write data in first storage regions of two or more of the storage drives prior to transfer of the write data into at least an SMR storage region of a storage drive associated with the write operation.
In another example, a method of operating a data storage array is presented. The method includes storing data in a plurality of storage drives each comprising storage media with a first storage region and a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) storage region. The method includes receiving a write operation over a host interface for storage of write data by the data storage array. Responsive to the write operation, the method includes caching the write data in first storage regions of two or more of the storage drives prior to transfer of the write data into at least an SMR storage region of a storage drive indicated by the write operation.
In another example, a data storage assembly is presented. The data storage assembly includes a plurality of hard disk drives (HDDs) each comprising rotating magnetic storage media with a cache storage region and a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) storage region. The data storage assembly includes an enclosure comprising structural elements to mount the plurality of HDDs and at least one external connector for communicatively coupling a control system of the data storage assembly over a host link. The control system is communicatively coupled to the HDDs and configured to receive storage operations over the host link for storage and retrieval of data by the HDDs. Responsive to write operations among the storage operations, the control system is configured to redundantly transfer write data for storage in associated cache storage regions of two or more of the HDDs prior to committing the write data into an SMR storage region of at least one of the HDDs.